A few unlucky individuals, like Hao Jiu, ran right into the target system and almost died before even successfully binding with a host.
The correct way to complete the mission is to bind to a host after you travel through time, then use the system radar to find the target system, have your host kill the target system's host, and then use the system capture tool to complete the capture mission.
If the target system has a host, the system's capture tools cannot be used, but the system's radar can be used.
Of course, Hao Jiu also thought that this radar system was a money-loser. Although it was not a disposable item, it still consumed energy when it was used.
Fortunately, this system's radar is quite powerful, with three functions: stereo scanning, area scanning, and linear scanning.
The detection signal emitted by 3D scanning is a sphere with the host as its center. The radius gradually increases, and the energy consumed also increases. The advantage is that it can find the target no matter where it is, whether it is in the sky or on the ground.
A surface region is a probe on a plane or curved surface, which consumes much less energy than a stereo scan, but Hao Jiu still thinks it's quite expensive, and not just expensive.
Only this linear scan is relatively reliable, with a very high cost-performance ratio, making it very suitable for use on low-level surfaces. However, the farther the scanning distance, the more energy it consumes.
Furthermore, Hao Jiu discovered that this linear scan could actually achieve the effect of a pseudo-area scan. All that was needed was for Xiang Yu to keep rotating his body during the scan, rotating round and round.
Of course, Hao Jiu can also share it himself.
However, if you know the general direction and location of the target, there's no need to go in circles; just turn in that direction and you'll be able to get it.
Hao Jiu was also careful this time. He didn't tell Xiang Yu about the other two radar scanning modes at all, only telling him about the linear scanning mode.
Even so, Xiang Yu still held Hao Jiu in the highest esteem. He remembered that Liu Ji's black dragon could determine their location by injecting a worm into the body of the God of Wine, while the God of Wine's location could be determined with a single scan. It was obvious which was superior.
However, Hao Jiu didn't think so. Although the conditions for using the Black Dragon were harsh, it didn't consume his own energy. That was a function of the system itself, not a prop.
Moreover, Hao Jiu searched for a long time in the God's Shop but couldn't find that module. He wasn't even sure if the module existed in the shop.
If only we could seize the Black Dragon function, it would be great. Unfortunately, based on the information Hao Jiu currently has, it is almost impossible to seize the functions of other systems. Only a few mutated systems have such an ability.
Or perhaps some kind-hearted mutant system will give him one?
East of Liu Jihan's army camp, Xiahou Ying's last glimmer of hope was extinguished.
He kept repeating to himself that he couldn't do mounted archery, couldn't do mounted archery, couldn't do mounted archery, and then the Chu cavalry in the distance suddenly unleashed a volley of arrows as they ran.
The Han army suffered thousands of casualties on the spot, and this was just the beginning.
Xiahou Ying could only be thankful that he had the foresight to send Liu Ji to Chaohu Lake for temporary refuge, which made it only natural that Liu Ji would have to retreat when he couldn't win.
Xiang Yu's cavalry were skilled archers and preferred to launch powerful projectiles, continuously striking from places the enemy couldn't reach. When their warhorses charged close to the enemy's arrow range, they would split to the left and right, circle around, and then charge back to fire again.
This fighting style maximizes the range of arrows by utilizing the power of a cavalry charge. A full-force volley only requires strength to find the right angle and doesn't require much skill, but it demands a high level of horsemanship.
Guan Ying's cavalry practiced for a long time but still couldn't learn this tactic of the Chu cavalry. It's really difficult to control a warhorse using only your legs. So, the cavalry army that Xiang Yu brought was truly elite!
If Xiahou Ying had known earlier that Xiang Yu had brought so many elite Chu cavalry, he would never have formed a battle formation. In the face of such an enemy, forming a battle formation is meaningless, and the army cannot consist entirely of shield-bearers.
In such a short time, their archers were almost all dead. Xiang Yu could always find the location of their archers and then attack them first.
If the archers were no longer a threat in the army formation, the Chu cavalry would become even more unscrupulous, and then it would be all over.
"Send the order! The entire army retreats into the Great..." Xiahou Ying had just raised his hand to order the retreat when a soldier came to deliver the message from behind.
"Report! General! A large Chu naval force has been spotted in Chaohu Lake, and a large number of Chu troops have also rushed out of Juchao City! The King of Han is retreating towards Shouchun. General, please hold out for a few more hours to buy time for the King of Han!"
Xiahou Ying's eyes widened instantly, a thought lingering in his mind, unsure whether he should say it or not...
Chapter 85 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Part Fourteen)
There were no more Han army ships on Chaohu Lake; the Chu army had taken control of the lake.
Chen Bi was originally leading his troops to resist the attack of the Chu army in Juchao, but after Chaohu was occupied by the Chu army, he had to divide his troops to guard the shore. The problem was that the shoreline was too long and could be landed anywhere.
Chen Bi was well aware that the main force of the Chu cavalry in Juchao was being transported up to the north bank of Chaohu Lake in batches, but he could only try his best to delay it and could not stop it at all.
Once the eight thousand elite Chu cavalrymen who came out of Juchao City have completely landed on the north bank of Chaohu Lake, how will Liu Ji escape? Can his broken-down cart outrun the elite Chu cavalry?
Chen Bi was Liu Ji's retainer and had followed him for many years. Guo Meng was Liu Ji's personal bodyguard, and Chen Bi was the second layer of protection.
With the waterways impassable, Liu Ji could only flee by land, but he couldn't run fast, so he had to rely on them to buy him time.
The Han army was numerous, but in terms of elite troops, it was no match for the Chu army. Xiang Yu recruited soldiers by selection, focusing on elite troops, while Liu Ji accepted all comers.
Fortunately, Liu Ji was not stupid. His 100,000 troops were among the more elite in the Han army; otherwise, they would have collapsed long ago.
But Chen Bi had no idea how long he could hold out.
Xiahou Ying's situation was not optimistic either. He tried many methods, such as dividing his troops, changing formations, and counterattacking, but Xiang Yu simply refused to engage in a melee, always maintaining a safe distance and flying him like a kite. Moreover, the Chu army's arrow rain always targeted their archers.
Even if the remaining archers are heavily protected by shieldmen, it will be of no use. No matter how well they fight back, they will eventually have to show their faces.
Furthermore, the Chu army did not only attack from the east; they had already divided into several battle groups and partially encircled them.
Xiahou Ying knew that things couldn't continue like this, but he really didn't have any good ideas.
Although their continued advance could force the Chu army to retreat, the problem was that they could not stray too far from the main camp, otherwise the Chu cavalry could bypass them and charge straight into the camp.
Meanwhile, Liu Ji is secretly fleeing towards Shouchun. The Chu army is unaware of this news, but once they find out, they may abandon them at any moment and launch a full-scale attack to kill Liu Ji.
This area is almost entirely plains, which is too advantageous for the Chu cavalry. Without a strong city, a single camp is simply not enough to withstand the Chu army's onslaught; staying in the camp means certain death.
Only by drawing the Chu army's attention to him could Liu Ji have a chance of survival if he abandoned his camp and fled.
The price of this was that Han soldiers died every moment from Chu arrows, constantly being worn down, with the lives of 100,000 Han soldiers being exchanged for Liu Ji's life.
At this moment, a horse-drawn carriage was speeding along the uneven dirt road.
The coachman, Zhou Xie, had tried his best to make the carriage more stable, but he still couldn't avoid the bumps.
Clang!
"ah!"
Liu Ji was thrown high into the air and crashed into the roof of the car. How many times had this happened already?
"Is Your Majesty alright?" Zhou Xie asked somewhat guiltily. It was easy to dodge the stones on the road, but the potholes and mounds were hard to avoid, and at high speeds, it was impossible to distinguish them.
"It's alright, go, go faster!" Liu Ji gripped the car with one hand and held Qi Ji with the other, feeling nauseous and a bit carsick.
He couldn't understand how the decisive battle, which he thought was a sure thing, had turned into a disastrous escape for him.
Despite his constant caution in avoiding Xiang Yu, Xiang Yu still managed to attack him, and his main army had just crossed the river, completely falling into Xiang Yu's trap.
The reason for this was that Zhang Liang had been captured by Xiang Yu. Although Chen Ping was also very clever and had many tricks up his sleeve, he was not as skilled in military strategy as Zhang Liang. Han Xin was not here, and the others, such as Zhou Bo and Cao Can, had not formally studied military strategy and were all just learning on the spot.
Even though Lü Ze was the most knowledgeable in military strategy and the most skilled in warfare among them, he had never gained any advantage against Xiang Yu. Now, he was in Jiangdong and could not be relied upon at all.
"Old Hei, what should we do?" Liu Jixin was very panicked.
"Just because you lost Zhang Liang, you've turned the war into this mess. Heh heh. Don't ask me what to do. The answer is to quickly push the woman in your arms off the carriage," Black Dragon said irritably.
"Huh? Push her again? But even if we push Qi Ji off the carriage, it might not be enough, right?" Liu Ji hesitated. Qi Ji was different from the other women. She was not only a beauty among beauties, but also a talented singer and dancer, gentle and charming, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Moreover, she had only ever been with him from beginning to end. There was probably no other woman in the world as perfect as her.
Even after having Consort Qi, he had no interest in other women at all, unless Consort Qi was physically unable to get along. In every respect, Consort Qi was far superior to that shrew Lü Zhi. How could Liu Ji bear to abandon her now?
Liu Ji patted Consort Qi on the back to comfort her, "My dear consort, don't be afraid, I will definitely protect you."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I trust you. There's something I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. My period hasn't come yet; it's been several days. Could it be that I'm pregnant?" Consort Qi said softly. She was terrified and clung tightly to Liu Ji, praying in her heart that they could escape danger as soon as possible and reach Shouchun quickly.
"Huh?" Liu Ji was stunned. "We're going to have our second child soon?"
"Yes." Qi Ji nodded vigorously.
"I adore Ruyi, my beloved consort. If she could give me a princess this time, that would be wonderful," Liu Ji said aloud, but inwardly he was cursing. What use are so many children? Wait, upon closer inspection, they're not entirely useless after all…
"Your Majesty, if I don't make it back this time, you must treat Ruyi well... Waaah!" Consort Qi cried as she spoke.
"Don't cry, you're not allowed to cry!" Liu Ji glared at Qi Ji, grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her violently, it was too unlucky!
"Yes." Qi Ji quickly shut up. If Liu Ji hadn't mentioned Liu Ruyi, she wouldn't have been able to control herself. Liu Ji's angry appearance was really terrifying.
"My beloved concubine, don't worry too much. This isn't the first time I've faced a life-or-death crisis. I've always managed to escape unscathed. As long as I live, I can naturally ensure your and Ruyi's safety." Liu Ji's expression gradually turned cold as he said this.
Consort Qi slowly raised her head. "Your Majesty, please speak frankly. For Your Majesty and for Ruyi, I am willing to do anything."
Liu Ji sighed, then whispered to Qi Ji, "To be honest, I think Chen Ping's plan to abandon the army and run away is not very safe. Xiang Yu is not so easy to fool, and it's only a matter of time before he catches up."
Therefore, I want my beloved concubine to pretend that I am still in the carriage and continue towards Shouchun, while I will get off halfway and find a safe place to hide.
"My beloved, rest assured. When Xiang Yu captured my entire family, he didn't do anything to them, did he? Once I'm safe, even if you fall into Xiang Yu's hands, I will spare no effort to get you back. I swear!"
Consort Qi smiled bitterly, unsure whether Liu Jixin believed she was pregnant. "I believe Your Majesty, as for Ruyi..."
Liu Ji embraced Consort Qi tightly, "My beloved consort, rest assured, after I ascend the throne, I will immediately make Ruyi the crown prince and you the empress!"
Chapter 86 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Fifteen)
North of Juchao, a protracted battleground.
The great battle between Xiang Yu and Xiahou Ying can be aptly described as a protracted war. Whenever Xiahou Ying ordered an advance to engage the Chu army in a decisive battle, the Chu army would retreat to maintain their distance and then use arrows to wear them down from a distance.
It wasn't that Xiang Yu didn't want to end the battle quickly, but rather that the enemy forces were too numerous and quite elite. Despite suffering such heavy casualties, they hadn't collapsed, which made Xiang Yu somewhat admire them.
The Han army was powerless to fight back but did not retreat. If they continued to fight like this, they would be wiped out sooner or later. Given such an opportunity to annihilate this enemy army, Xiang Yu would naturally not show any mercy.
Of course, Xiang Yu wasn't just looking for an easy advantage and forgetting his ultimate goal. Instead, under Hao Jiu's radar detection, he discovered that Liu Ji had left the camp and fled towards Shouchun, a clever escape.
Now that Xiang Yu could track down Liu Ji's whereabouts, he was no longer in a hurry. He could wait until Liu Ji had run a little further away before chasing after him, which would allow him to shake off Xiahou Ying's main force. He could then use this time to cripple or annihilate Xiahou Ying's army.
Xiahou Ying thought he had successfully stalled Xiang Yu, buying time for Liu Ji to escape, but little did he know that Xiang Yu already knew Liu Ji's movements.
Even if Xiahou Ying were exhausted, he would never have imagined that the Overlord had a cheat code, rendering all his efforts meaningless and at most just exhausting the Chu army.
The longer the battle lasted, the more desperate the Han army became, while the more confident the Chu army grew. Under Xiang Yu's command, this hastily trained elite Chu cavalry was rapidly developing and becoming increasingly adept at tactical maneuvering.
Shen Tu Jia was utterly astonished and completely impressed by Xiang Yu. However, he also approached Xiang Yu and offered his advice: it was time to launch a surprise attack on the camp to eliminate Liu Ji. Killing more enemy soldiers would not end the Chu-Han Contention; only capturing and killing Liu Ji would solve the problem.
Just then, Xiang Yu felt that the kite had been flown long enough, so he decisively ordered a surprise attack on the Han army camp. This time, the Chu army did not retreat, but charged straight at Xiahou Ying's army, catching them off guard.
Xiahou Ying commanded his army to fight and retreat, hoping to return to the main camp to defend one more wave. However, the Chu cavalry was too fast and charged directly from the side. If the Han army continued to maintain its square formation and move slowly, it would be impossible to stop them and reach the main camp before the Chu army.
Therefore, Xiahou Ying gritted his teeth and abandoned the square formation, instead ordering the entire army to charge. This would effectively intercept the Chu cavalry, but the cost was extremely high. If infantry did not have a formation against cavalry, it would be almost the same as suicide.
After a fierce battle, no one on the Han army side dared to try and stop them anymore. Fortunately, a considerable amount of time had passed since Liu Ji's escape. Xiahou Ying felt that he had done his best and had done right by Liu Ji. He decided to take advantage of Xiang Yu's surprise attack on the camp and retreat quickly, otherwise, the entire army would be wiped out.
Knowing that Liu Ji was going to Shouchun, Xiahou Ying absolutely could not retreat in that direction. And to the south were Juchao City and the mountains, so only the north remained. He could go to Dongcheng, or simply escape to Zhongli County.
If the Chu army did not intend to let them go, then they would have no choice but to find a nearby mountain to take temporary refuge, and there were indeed a few mountains to the north.